Siege of Capua (1501)

The Siege of Capua (24 June 1501) occurred during the Italian War of 1499-1504. King Louis XII of France was granted safe passage through the Papal States by Pope Alexander VI, and he led his army towards Naples, intent on reclaiming the throne for the Angevins. Pope Alexander granted him the crown of Naples and allowed for him to wage holy war against the Aragonese; he also sent his son Cesare Borgia to assist King Louis and his general Berault d'Aubigny in their invasion of Naples.

In 1501, the French armies besieged Naples and Capua, which were defended by the condottieri Fabrizio and Prospero Colonna. Cesare Borgia handled the siege of Capua as the French focused on Naples, and the people of Capua offered heavy resistance to the besieging army. In retaliation, Borgia had the populace crowded into a square and massacred, intending for the people to fear French rule. King Louis XII was shocked by Borgia's brutality, telling him that it would be hard to rule a city with no people in it. He then told Borgia to return to Rome as the French pressed on to Naples.